The collection focuses on Modoc Indians and the Modoc War of 1872-1873, John Charles Frémont's Second and Third Expeditions to the American West, and U.S. Supreme Court litigation between California and Nevada about a boundary dispute. It contains documents, photocopies, photographs, negatives and duplicates of stereographic images, maps, videocassettes and audio cassettes, and ephemera. The collection is composed of five series: Series I: Modoc War, Series II: Modoc War Symposium, Series III: Western Exploration and Nevada-California-Oregon Boundary, Series IV: Land of the Lakes History, and Series V: Maps.

Series I: Modoc War contains images and documents related to the participants and events of the Modoc War of 1872-1873. Series II: Modoc War Symposium contains images, audio/visual recordings and documents related to the Modoc War Symposium held at Lava Beds National Monument in March 1988. Series III: Western Exploration and Nevada-California-Oregon Boundary contains research materials gathered by Francis Landrum related to western explorations, especially material associated with defining the boundary between Nevada, California and Oregon in the Lake Tahoe area. Landrum’s personal correspondence on the boundary dispute is also included in this series. Series IV: Land of the Lakes History contains images, audio/visual materials and documents related to a wide variety of topics in the Land of the Lakes region. Series V: Maps includes maps documenting exploration of the American west, the Modoc War, and Oregon. Many items are originals, some are copies. Some were created by Francis S. Landrum.